A man who is accused of kidnapping and killing a Winter Park caregiver in 2017 took the stand Thursday, in a surprising twist.
Investigators said Scott Nelson kidnapped Jennifer Fulford from a Winter Park home where she worked, killed her and dumped her body in the woods. He wrapped her body in duct tape and tied her wrists and ankles, investigators said.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Read: 'I'm a serial killer,' says man accused of killing caregiver
Channel 9 reporter Shannon Butler, who is inside the courtroom, tweeted: “When asked about the zip ties and duct tape that he bought, he said ‘never leaves home without it.’”
Nelson blamed his probation officer during his testimony, saying, “Jennifer Fulford would be alive today" if it were not for his probation officer. Butler learned that Nelson had been convicted of six felonies prior to the trial.
Watch Nelson testify in court below:
Nelson also said the federal government and his probation officer, “lit a firecracker, lit a bomb,” and blamed them for losing his job and home.
“I suffered to make my way up the mountain, and this maniac comes in and cuts it out from underneath me. What am I going to do? Get another job and let him do it again? No. We are going fight back,” Nelson said.
Nelson also testified he was going to shoot his probation officer, but God was looking out for the officer that day, instead, he decided to use Fulford as "collateral damage."
Nelson said he didn’t intend to kill Jennifer Fulford. That she had never done anything to him. Said, “ I wasn’t planning on killing this woman”
— Shannon Butler (@SButlerWFTV) June 27, 2019
Jennifer Fulford’s husband is in court listening to this right now. How he has kept composure...I’ll never know. #wftv
— Shannon Butler (@SButlerWFTV) June 27, 2019
“They laughed about it after; that is what corrections does. That is what the government does. That's all they have every done to me. They turned me into an animal,” Nelson said.
Nelson also talked about law enforcement officers, saying, "I allowed them to catch me."
Mid-testimony, Nelson became upset, saying he had had enough and was finished answering prosecutor Linda Drain Burdick’s questions. Nelson said his memory was “getting foggy,” and claimed he did not remember stabbing Fulford.
Watch more testimony from Nelson:
A detective in the case testified Wednesday, saying Nelson was helpful in leading authorities to clues.
The jury also heard about the letter Nelson wrote to an Orlando police detective and the state attorney. Investigators said in one of the letters, Nelson gave the detective clues, while he was in jail, on where the detective could find more evidence.
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